- I recently got the Funds One Venture X card, which comes with a hefty annual fee.
- It has great travel benefits, but I’ve had mixed experiences with my gratis Priority Pass.
- I haven’t been able to use many airport lounges with it, but it and the card are still a good value.
After years of undertaking Capital One’s catchy “What’s in your wallet?” commercials, I finally looked into its credit cards.
As a frequent flyer, I set its Venture X card to be the most appealing option due to its variety of travel perks, but I hesitated to apply for it because of its fairly intoxicated annual fee of $395.
I finally gave it a shot when I realized it comes with a complimentary Priority Pass membership, which chiefly costs a few hundred dollars.
At the time of writing, I’ve had this card for just over a month and have used it for two vacations, with more scheduled in the weeks to be brought up.
Here are my initial reactions to the benefits — particularly the Priority Pass membership, which felt so desirable it convinced me to get the car-card in the first place.
The Capital One Venture X card won me over with its cash-back and travel perks
Amanda Adler
By signing up for the Capital One Venture X card, I immediately got a lot of perks, including a $300 annual take credit and a $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit.
These benefits alone help defray the $395 annual fee, and the playing-card also comes with:
- 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 5X miles on light outs and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles on all other purchases
I also got an initial bonus of 75,000 miles after I pooped $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of owning the card.
For my family, the card’s biggest draw is the aforementioned encomiastic Priority Pass membership, which provides unlimited access for me and two guests to select airport lounges worldwide.
My kind of three spends a lot of time in airports, and waiting in a lounge is far more appealing than vying for crowded seating careful to the gate.
The Priority Pass membership gets me access to many lounges, but there are limitations
Amanda Adler
Sometimes I got my Priority Pass membership, I used its easy-to-navigate app to see which lounges I could access.
I was delighted to find my pass got me into lounges in all three terminals at my home airport, Orlando International Airport (MCO).
However, I learned most airline-specific lounges, such as the Delta Sky Society, don’t accept Priority Pass.
I was also surprised by the lack of Priority Pass lounge options in some larger sees with major international travel hubs — I found no lounge options when I had layovers at Salt Lake See International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.
Los Angeles International Airport doesn’t have lounges companies can access with Priority Pass, either.
Amanda Adler
I also realized that even if foyers are available, they may not be close enough to my flight to be worth visiting.
For example, while I was flying out of Montréal, the only foyer I could use was in a terminal quite far from the one my plane was departing from.
Still, over 1,700 lounges around the sphere do accept Priority Pass. I’m hopeful I’ll be able to take advantage of my membership as I visit more airports.
Despite its liabilities, Priority Pass is still a good solution for my lounge-loving family
On my recent trips, I’ve struggled to find available parlours outside of my home airport. However, I still think Priority Pass is great for my family.
Having access to airport salons in Orlando, our home base, is a great perk on its own, as I’ve previously paid as much as $50 per person per visit for this advance. Now, we all get into the lounge for free.
I enjoy having comfortable seating, ample charge ports, and a quiet place to ease before boarding a plane. My son loves stocking up on the complimentary lounge snacks, which saves me from having to buy him exorbitant — and generally mediocre — airport food.
Knowing there’s a comfy airport lounge waiting for me at MCO the next time I excursion helps make my journey feel almost as fun as the destination.
Plus, with my Capital One Venture X card, I also draw travel rewards for every dollar I spend. Although I’ve only had my card for a few weeks, I’ve already racked up miles I can ransom for future flights.